The Final Act
by Lollipop456
Summary: Seth and Jessica travel to San Fransisco to see Seth's niece Marlena perform in an opera. Marlena confesses to Jessica that she is being stalked and has received numerous death threats. When she is convinced to return to Cabot Cove for her safety, she is murdered only a couple of days after her arrival. Now Jessica must find the murderer.


Jessica Fletcher was having a very bad morning. She stubbed her toe climbing out of bed, her coffee machine broke resulting in a lukewarm cup, and now her computer refused to power up. So when her phone rang, Jessica refused to answer at first. Chances were that it was probably one of her editors to give her a shorter deadline for her next book, or that her usual shipment of lobsters that were delivered to a local shop in Cabot Cove had been lost. Still, the phone kept rining and Jessica knew she had to answer it. Getting up from her seat at the computer, she gave a deep sigh and picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Jessica, it's Seth."

Jessica couldn't have been more relieved to hear the voice of her doctor and close friend, Seth Hazlitt.

"Seth, thank goodness."

"What's wrong, Jessica? You sound kinda different. Do you need a check up?"

"It's not that, Seth. My morning has been...well, let's just say that it hasn't been pleasant."

Seth chuckled. "I see. Well, I've got some news that might just perk up your day."

"What is it?"

"You remember my niece, Marlena? She's now a famous opera star and has invited us to her latest show, "La Trivata." It's in San Fransisco, but Marlena already went through the liberty of paying for our airline tickets."

"_Our _tickets?"

"Well, when I got my ticket, I phoned Marley and she told me that she was also sending you a ticket. Said we're booked for the same flight tomorrow morning."

"Why would she invite me? She still has plenty of friends here in Cabot Cove."

"I asked her about that and she said that she just had something really important to tell you."

Jessica chewed her lower lip. Marlena was raised in Portland but spent her summer vacations and Christmas breaks in Cabot Cove. She often visited Jessica and her late husband, Frank, but Jessica knew well that Marlena was well-liked and was quite the social butterfly when she came of age. It made no sense that out of all the citizens of Cabot Cove, that she had been chosen to attend Marlena's performance.

"Jessica, are you still there?"

"Oh yes, Seth, I'm still here."

"So, will you join me?"

"I'm not really sure. I still haven't finished my latest book, and as much as I do love Marlena I..."

Before Jessica could finish, there was a knock on her kitchen door. Knowing that it was about time for the mail, she went and answered the door and took the mail from the mailman. She skimmed through the envelopes, until she found one that was from Marlena.

"Seth, I just got my ticket."

Jessica tore open the envelope and saw the airline ticket, but there was also a folded piece of paper.

"Did Marlena send you a letter with the ticket?"

"No. She was never really a letter person, always loves the phone."

Jessica unfolded the paper and was confused by what she saw. In bold print, there was a set of numbers written:

**9 14554 25152118 851216 **

"I can understand that you're a busy person, Jessica, but Marlena was fond of you and Frank. I mean if you don't think there's any possible way you can come, then..."

Jessica really wasn't listening to Seth anymore. She was already sitting at the kitchen table and trying to make sense of the numbers. After pondering for awhile, she remembered that when Marlena was a child, they had their own secret code. They would use numbers to write a message, by replacing each letter with its place in the alphabet. Quickly grabbing a pencil and paper, Jessica began to work at the code, as Seth continued to rant on. It was only when she finished the code, that she gasped in surprise.

"Oh my goodness."

"Jessica, what's wrong?" Seth asked.

"Seth, forget what I've said, I'd be glad to go to Marlena's opera."

"That's great, Jessica. Now, pack your bags and I'll meet you tomorrow at the airport. Buh-bye."

Jessica hung up the phone and then looked at the translated code. Her reason for needing to go to San Fransisco.

**I NEED YOUR HELP**


End file.
